Researchers from the University of Sheffield, South Yorkshore, England, have discovered a new way to protect concrete from fire damage. The team extracted fibers from the textile reinforcement found in used tires and added it to a concrete mix, which helped reduce spalling, or surface layers of concrete breaking off explosively. This is the first study that indicates recyclable materials can be used to protect concrete; human-made polypropylene has already been used to protect concrete in various modern structures. The fibers melt when exposed to heat creating a network of tiny channels that allow moisture trapped within to escape.
"We've shown that these recycled fibers do an equivalent job to 'virgin' PP fibres which require lots of energy and resources to produce," explains lead author Dr Shan-Shan Huang, in the Department of Civil and Structural Engineering at the University of Sheffield.
"Using waste materials in this way is less expensive, and better for the planet."
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